Means for securing the heads of hammers, picks, axes and similar tools



I jug 461931.

A. w. ROGERS 1,812,375 MEANS FOR SECURING THE HEADS OF HAMMERS, PICKS, AXES, AND SIMILAR TOOLS Filed Jan. 22, 1929 m A g.

Patented June 30, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .ALBERT WILLIAM ROGERS, or SAN'IO DOMINGO CITY, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC,

. WEST INDIES MEANS FOR SECURING THE HEADS or HAMMER-s, rrcxs, Axes AND SIMILAR TOOLS Application filed January 22, 1929. Serial No. 334,193.

This invention relates to new or improved means for securing the heads of hammers, picks, axes and the heads of tools generally, wherein the tool head is mounted on the end of a wooden shaft or handle, and provides means of simple form and capable of cheap manufacture which can be applied easily to the tool in order to secure the tool head in place and obviate any possibility of same flying ofl with consequent fear of damage or injury when the tool is in use. p

The means provided in accordance with the invention for thepurpose aforesaid comprises broadly a wedge adapted to be forced into the end of the wooden shaft or handle so as to expand the said shaft or handle and after the tool head has been fitted thereon, and wedge-retaining means constructed and adapted to pass through the tool head, parallel to the handle or shaft and to project at the inner face of the tool. head. Provision is made, where the said wedge-retaining means projects at the inner face of the tool head, for presenting said wedge-retaining means from pulling through the tool head in outward direction and thusthe wedge aforesaid is retained in its handle or shaft-expanding position. It will be followed that owing to the expansion of the handle or shaft effected b the wedge, the tool head cannot'become etaehed from the handle or shaft until the wedge is removed to allow of said handle or shaft end to contract again, and since the wedge cannot thus be removed until the wedge-retaining means is pulled through the tool head and since provision is made for preventing this latter action, it is apparent that an possibility for the tool head to come off t e handle or shaft accidentally, is entirely eliminated.

Preferably, the wedge and the wedge-re taining means are formed integrally as a unit, the wedge-retaining means consisting of one, two or more legs of rectangular or other section extending from the wedge in the direction in which the wedge points and perpendicular to the thin end of said wedge.

The said leg or legs is or are adapted to extend down through the tool head alongside the shaft or handle and to project at the inner face of the tool head, said projecting portion being bent in lateral direction under the tool head after the combined wedge and wedge-retaining member has been driven into place with the wedge firmly embedded in the shaft or handle end, the said bent projecting leg portion serving to prevent the said member pulling out.

Of the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form of wedge provided in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a section through Figure 1 on line 22.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the upper part of a hammer having the invention applied, the hammer head being shown partly broken away for the sake of clearness.

Figure 4 is a part-sectional end view of the upper end of the hammer.

Figure 5,is a plan view of the hammer head alone.

Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating how a wedge member may be made from a metal stamping.

Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 are perspective views of modified constructions of wedge members that may be provided in accordance with the invention.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, the combined wedge and wedge-retaining member is a substantial- "ly Ushaped member 9, the bridging portion 10 thereof being formed as a wedge which tapers towards its inner edge 11, and the two legs 12 which are formed integral therewith, constitute wedge-retaining means for extending down the handle or shaft 13 of the tool at opposite sides. The said legs may be of bifurcated formation, i. e. slitted at their outer ends as at 14 so that each presents a pair of locking ears or tongues 15 adapted to project below the hammer or other tool head 16 and to be bent in opposite lateral directions thereunder, as shown in Figure 4, after the member has been properly driven down into place.

Preferably the tool head 16 is constructed in a particular manner so as to assist the action of the wedge in retaining said tool head; that is'to say, the hole 17 formed through said tool head for receiving the handle or shaft 13 has, towards the bottom of said tool head, a width or diameter such that the handle or shaft is a fairly close fit therein, said hole, however, increasing in diameter or width, i. e. tapering outwardly towards the top or outer part of the tool head, as shown in Figure 4. Thus, when the tool head is first placed on a parallel-sided handle or shaft 13, a clearance exists around the handle or shaft end, until such time as the wedge 10 is driven in, the latter operation causing the divided portions 18 of the handle end thus produced to become forced apart and compressed to completely occupy the larger bore afforded by the aforesaid tapering formation of the hole 17.

Oppositely disposed grooves 19 may be formed down the face of the bore 17in the tool head, extending the full depth of'the latter, for the passage of the legs 12 of the U-shaped retaining member, although, if

preferred, the said legs 12 could be accommodated in grooves formed inthe handle or shaft 13.

In the foregoing construction the combined wedge and wedge-retaining member is of a solid, single thickness, the leg extremities being split in order to form the locking ears or tongues 15, but in an alternative construction the said member is formed from an H-shaped stamping, as shown in Figure 6, which is doubled over about a transverse line which extends along the central connecting neck 10 of the H. Thus, said connecting neck 10 when folded, forms a wedge, whilst a pair of legs 12 each of double formation, is produced, the two thicknesses, in the case 'of each leg, being bent apart at their extremities in order to form the locking tongue or ears 15 aforesaid. Thus, no cutting of the legs 12 is necessary as in the foregoing construction.

locking ear 15.

Each of the foregoing constructions has been described as having a pair of legs, which is preferred, but it must be understood that one leg only, constructed as described,

and integral with the wedge may be provided as shown in Fig. 10.

Further, in some cases, the wedge and wedge-retaining leg may be made separate from one another but adapted to engage one another; for instance, in the modification shown in Figure 8, the bridging part 20 of a U-shaped memberthe legs 12 of which constitute wedge-retaining legs as above described-engages into a groove 21- formed in the thick upper edge of a separate wedge 10.

In the further modification shown in Fig ure 9, a separate wedge member 10 is recessed as at 22 in order to receivea lateral inwardly-directed shoulder 23 on a separate retaining leg 12, or on each retaining leg employed.

The hole 17 in the tool head 16 will be shaped to suit the sectional shape of the handle or shaft 13, which may be rectangular, oval, circular or other convenient cross-sectional shape, and, if necessary, the end of the handle or shaft 13 may be saw-cut in order to facilitate entry of the wedge there-' into.

sired to remove the tool head 16 from the handle or shaft 13, this can be effected by.

bending the locking ears or tongues 15 into line with the legs 12 and then withdrawing the wedge member, whereupon the tool head may be drawn off the shaft or handle 13, this being permitted owing to the divided portions of the handle or shaft closing toetheri g Although the invention has been illustrated as applied only to ahammer-head, it is to be understood that said invention is equally applicable to tools of all kinds which comprise a tool head fixed on a wooden handle or shaft, such as, for example, picks, axes, mallets and the like. i

I claim I 1. In a tool comprising a handle and a tool headmounted on one end thereof and having a hole formed therethrough to receive the handle, said tool head further having a pair of oppositely disposed grooves formed therein opening into said hole, a wedge driven into the tool-'head-carrying end of the handle, and a pair of legs extending from said wedge down said grooves in the tool head and having their inner ends laterally bent under the tool head, said legs serving to prevent the wedge pulling out unintentionally. e r V 2. In a tool comprising a handle and a tool head mounted on one end thereof and having a hole formed therethrough to receive the handle, said tool head further having a pair of oppositely disposed grooves formed therein opening into said hole, a wedge driven into thetool-head-carrying end of the handle, a pair of substantially parallel legs pro- 

